Lem’s latest: Alvarado’s “Rocky” moment was “must see” television

LAS VEGAS — The fourth-round, right-handed uppercut by junior welterweight Breidis Prescott ripped open the left eye of rival “Mile High” Mike Alvarado, causing a profuse flow of blood that hindered his vision for the remainder of the fight.

“He had a good rally with some good combinations at that time. But I wasn’t really hurt at all. My head was fine, but the bleeding from the mouth and from the eye, that was different for me,” said Alvarado.

“I had never really suffered from any cuts like that or anything like that in my previous fight. But I just knew that I had to overcome it. My heart just grew bigger and bigger as the fight went on. That’s why I took over.”

And six rounds later, the 31-year-old Alvarado responded with an assault of his own, flooring Prescott with a vicious left-right-left uppercut series, and then landing a similar volley of subsequent blows which forced referee Jay Nady to wave an end to his 10th-round knockout on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“I just felt it coming. I knew that he was ready to go and that he was tired. I felt strong and so I stood there and I fought with him over the last three rounds” said Alvarado, who closed by landing 27 of 38 power shots thrown in the 10th.

“I was ready to go, man, and that 10th round, I just turned it on. I was getting stronger. That’s my style. I get stronger as the fight goes on.”

The end came at 1 minute, 53 seconds of the round for Alvarado (32-0, 23 KOs), of Denver, who scored his 10th stoppage over his past 12 bouts against the 28-year-old Prescott (24-4, 19 KOs) .

“That was incredible. That was like a movie. You couldn’t script anything better. I mean, blood pouring down Mike Alvarado’s face, and he’s behind on the scorecards. The only chance that he has to win the fight is to drop this guy or to knock him out, and it looks like he’s fading in the ninth round,” said Top Rank Inc. CEO Bob Arum.

“And then, out of nowhere, he came on and he knocked the guy out. It was a Hollywood ending. That’s like the Rocky movies, you know, with the blood streaming down. That’ doesn’t really happen in real life. It was as dramatic as it could get with the blood pouring down his face and everything.”

As it turned out, Alvarado trailed 87-84 on the cards of Patricia Morse Jarman and Lisa Giampa, and, 86-85, on that of Jerry Roth, meaning that he required the knockout to win.

“That second fight of the night was like a movie fight, because every judge had him behind going into the last round. And he needed a knockdown, and, ultimately, a knockout to win,” said Arum.

“It was as dramatic as it could get with the blood pouring down his face and everything. When I got into the ring after the fight, I said to Mike Alvarado, ‘Man, you’ve got a set of balls.’ So I’m glad to be promoting him, and we’ve handled his career.”

“This was a great event from top to bottom. This one was terrific, and performances like Mike’s create much great opportunites for a fighter in the future,” said Top Rank Inc. President Todd duBoef.

“That’s a steppingstone or a signature fight, where he can really make a name for himself. You see some of those fights where either they step up and deliver or they don’t, and Mike, obviously, delivered.”

It was the biggest win in the career for Alvarado, who both dropped and stopped Prescott for the first time in Prescott’s career.

Prescott is best known for a 54-second knockout over RING No. 1-rated junior welterweight and current WBA/IBF beltholder Amir Khan (26-1, 18 KOs) in September of 2008.

“Mike clearly put himself in the ‘must see’ category for boxing on television,” said Top Rank Vice President Carl Moretti.

“Given the fact that he’s already in the talent rich junior welterweight division bodes well for 2012. When and who he returns against will have to duscussed with his team. But the future is bright, no question.”

PETERSON BROTHERS VISIT YOUTH HOMELESS SHELTER

The fighting Peterson brothers, 26-year-old lightweight Anthony Peterson (30-1, 20 KOs) and 27-year-old junior welterwieght contender Lamont Peterson (29-1-1, 15 KOs) will take a break from their rigorous training schedules to spend a couple of hours speaking with a group of homeless teenage boys at the DC General Shelter in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday evening.

The program is part of the Children’s Playtime Project that serves young men that range from the ages of 11-to-18.

Lamont Peterson is training for an HBO-televised, Dec. 10 challenge to WBA/IBF 140-pound titleholder Amir Khan (26-1, 18 KOs) at the Washington, D.C., Convention Center, and Anthony Peterson will face an opponent to be determined on the undercard.

The Petersons were 5 and 6, respectively, the age at which their father was jailed on drug charges, and their mother was left to care for seven children.

When they weren’t bouncing between foster care and the streets, they protected each other and have persevered under the guidance of manger and trainer Barry Hunter, to whom they were introduced by a close friend and mentor, Patrice Harris.

For money, they washed car windows or resorted to stealing from grocery stores, becoming pick pockets, swiping tips off of the tables at outdoor restaurants, or things such as stealing bicycles and selling them.

Until meeting Hunter, the Peterson siblings slept in a station wagons, alternately spending “some days on the streets, some days at the bus stops and the bus stations, and there were some days we spent at the parks,” according to Lamont Peterson.

As a result of their experiences, the Peterson siblings feel the need to never forget where they come from and to use it as a way to be an inspiration for others. For more info on the organization and the program please see their website: www.playtimeproject.net